Should Texas Senate modify ‘bare-bones’ budget OKd by House?

“I know this bill is not perfect.” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie. “This budget does fund the essential services of state government within our state revenue.”

The vote Sunday night was 98-49, with only two House Republicans voting against it and no Democrats voting for it.

Democrats say the $164.5 billion budget, a drop of $23 billion from current levels, would slash key services and hurt many vulnerable Texans.

As Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio said, “Eighty thousand kids are not going to get their scholarships and grant money because of this bill. Forty-three thousand people are going to get kicked out of nursing homes or denied nursing home entrance because of this bill; 335,000 Texas jobs are going to go away because of this bill.”

Yet Republicans said they had no choice because there is simply less money to spend. As Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, put it, voters “sent me up here for government to live within its means.”

Whaddya think?

Should the Texas Senate try to modify the House budget, or stick with it?

Should the Legislature just spend what it has and tell Texans to tighten their belts?

Or should lawmakers avoid major spending cuts and approve new taxes to get through this crisis?

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